Evan Silva

Position Battles

Getting Separation

Perhaps no player has been as dominant as Bradshaw in the preseason's first two weeks. He already has four catches, a touchdown, and 89 rushing yards on 11 carries. The Panthers' run defense will be miserable minus NT Maake Kemoeatu and possibly MLB Jon Beason (I can't wait to recommend LeSean McCoy against Carolina as a sleeper Week 1 flex play), but it wasn't just the front seven Bradshaw made look bad in the opener. The 5'9/198-pound third-year back literally de-cleated Panthers CB Chris Gamble (6'1/200) on his 19-yard touchdown run. Ware has been solid in the passing game, but struggled on the ground with just 55 yards on 20 carries. Brown is out for the season with a torn Achilles' tendon. Bradshaw is a candidate for a 1,000+ all-purpose yard campaign.

Yes, that Troy Williamson is leading the league in preseason receiving yardage in a landslide. Most impressively, the former drop-prone bust is doing it efficiently. Starting both of the Jags' preseason games at split end, Williamson has turned 10 targets into seven catches for 221 yards, including bombs of 61 yards and a 76-yard score on the first offensive snap of Saturday's exhibition. Meanwhile, Walker has missed 16 days with an ankle injury. Williamson has simply played too well to not stay in the starting lineup when Walker returns. It's time to seriously consider Williamson as a late-round flier pick. Somebody has to catch the passes in Jacksonville. Walker and Torry Holt haven't shown much.

We already talked about Jarrett's big opportunity with Steve Smith (shoulder) shelved for the preseason and Muhsin Muhammad unlikely to play much in meaningless games at age 35. But Jarrett showed no ability to separate in Carolina's opener against the Giants, then went catch-less Saturday night at Miami. He's sitting on one catch for three yards in extensive playing time, while being outplayed by Lions castoff Kenneth Moore, and undrafted free agents Jason Chery and Larry Beavers. Barring an exceptional breakthrough from Jarrett in the last two exhibitions, Moose's job is very safe.

Rice started the preseason opener and looked every bit the every-down back coordinator Cam Cameron envisions. He averaged a rock-solid 4.4 yards per carry and caught three passes for 38 yards. McGahee has turned it up a notch in practice and didn't hurt himself with 33 yards on five touches in last week's shutout of Washington, but is safely No. 2. Interestingly, McClain only lead blocked. McGahee got the carry inside the Skins' five-yard line on the Ravens' first drive. He didn't execute, but it's possible that McClain isn't guaranteed goal-line work. That could open the door to even more production for Rice, who was an effective short-yardage back at Rutgers. The first-team gig is wrapped tight, but Monday night's Ravens-Jets matchup is worth watching closely for an idea of Rice's touchdown-scoring upside.

By way of shameless contract demands, Crabtree's agent has effectively haggled his client out of this race. Morgan has run as the 49ers' split end for the duration of camp, with Bruce opposite at flanker. Morgan, the 49ers' top deep threat, will be counted on heavily early this year. Crabtree won't be ready for an impact until midseason at the earliest, Brandon Jones (fractured shoulder) is out until at least Week 4, slot receiver Jason Hill appears to be regressing, and Bruce is going on 37. Sure to be a target hound, Morgan could emerge as an every-week WR3 play. His current ADP is the 14th round in 12-team leagues, behind guys like Hakeem Nicks, Michael Jenkins, and Crabtree himself. Imagine that.

The competition has turned to Austin versus Hurd for the third receiver spot. Crayton is in the driver's seat to start opposite Roy Williams. Austin played ahead of Hurd in the exhibition opener, but had a drop and finished without a catch. He also went reception-less on Friday night, failing to execute on two targets. Meantime, Hurd is sitting on 86 preseason receiving yards. Austin is blowing his opportunity for a huge role in an explosive offense during his contract year. Crayton is a worthwhile mid- to late-round pick in PPR leagues. He has remarkable hands and is extremely underrated in the red zone.

Sage Rosenfels had taken the clear lead over Tarvaris Jackson coming out of the first week of the preseason. Wednesday, the competition was over. Still, the Vikings' quarterback situation should be kept in mind in-season. The offense has explosive potential and Favre's partially torn rotator cuff is susceptible to re-aggravation. Rosenfels could be worth a waiver add at some point. Minnesota should find a trade partner for Jackson after his 202-yard, two-touchdown effort on Friday. St. Louis, Washington, Green Bay, and Jacksonville appear to be possible landing spots.

Editor's Note: For the most up-to-date player rankings, profiles, projections, cheatsheets, and much, much more that will allow you to dominate your fantasy football league, check out the 2009 Rotoworld Football Draft Guide.

This week's practices are crucial for fringe players attempting to make 53-man rosters. It's their last chance to impress before the third preseason game, which is treated by most teams as a serious regular-season dress rehearsal. If a healthy player sees no action in the third exhibition, he probably won't have a job come September 1.

That's the first date of NFL cuts. Each team will trim its roster from 80 to 75 two Tuesdays from now. Final cuts take place the following Saturday, September 5.

These are also key dates for players involved in position battles. While most of the names here aren't in danger of losing a roster spot, they're definitely trying to use practice and exhibition opportunities to gain separation on the depth chart. Ranked relative to importance, let's update 12 competitions.

Editor's Note: For the most up-to-date player rankings, profiles, projections, cheatsheets, and much, much more that will allow you to dominate your fantasy football league, check out the 2009 Rotoworld Football Draft Guide.

It came mostly against Vikings backups, but Brown's five-carry, 58-yard effort in the preseason opener supported our expectation that he'll play early and often as a rookie. Last year's NCAA rushing leader took a small step back with 14 yards on four touches Thursday versus Philadelphia, but continued to display impressive wiggle and his trademark versatility. Still, the Colts never formally opened the position to competition and the starting job is clearly Addai's. He has a sturdy 39 total yards on five preseason touches and was in the game over Brown when the Colts were in scoring position on their first drive Thursday night. Most likely, the two will end up rotating series during the season like Addai used to with Dominic Rhodes and Kenton Keith. It's the role Addai is best suited for, and he maintains solid scoring potential in an explosive offense.

Hixon has started both of the Giants' exhibitions at split end. In a pretty clear sign that he's not being pushed for his job, Hixon played sparingly Saturday. Nicks, who didn't enter until the third quarter of New York's opener, saw increased snaps at Chicago but has appeared sluggish in his routes. He has just two catches on the preseason, including a 55-yarder with 50 seconds left in Saturday's game. Mario Manningham, the Giants' situational deep threat, has received far more playing time than the first-round pick and is firmly ahead of Nicks on the depth chart. While Smith is a serious candidate to lead New York in catches, Hixon is the Giants' best bet for big plays. Just be wary of a heavy rotation. With Ramses Barden also involved and Derek Hagan surprisingly coming on in practices, coordinator Kevin Gilbride has enough options to use a receiver by committee. In a run-first offense, that's not a formula for upside.

The Pats still list Morris as their first-team back and gave him the most carries in the preseason opener, but don't read into it. He was held out Thursday night for undisclosed reasons, while Taylor started and generated 38 yards on eight touches. Maroney played the first snap in New England's first exhibition and has drawn praise from coach Bill Belichick for improvement in the passing game. The Pats are still holding out hope that Maroney can become a complete player. History suggests that's a long shot, but he remains the only Pats back we'd take a flier on. At least he's got upside. Taylor is 33 and likely won't play in passing or goal-line situations. Morris is 32 and may have to do more lead blocking because New England doesn't have a fullback on the roster. Kevin Faulk is worth a late pick in PPR drafts, but like Taylor is 33 and not a preferred option in the red zone.

The newcomer here, Hillis merits consideration because he's seen just as many first-team reps as the other contenders. Jordan is in the mix for goal-line carries, but is unlikely to start. The Broncos have stayed true to their depth chart and started Buckhalter in both of their preseason games, but the 31-year-old has just 19 yards on eight carries. Predictably, Moreno flashed the most promise with 18 yards on three carries in the opener before an MCL sprain ended his day. Still the heavy favorite to lead Denver backs in touches, Moreno should recover quickly and be 100 percent by Week 1. But keep an eye on Hillis, who quietly leads the backfield with 89 total yards on 16 preseason touches. Coach Josh McDaniels loves versatile players and will find a role for Hillis as long as he produces. Hillis could vulture goal-line scores.

Dwayne Bowe is rapidly moving up since his third-string listing on the initial depth chart and is virtually certain to start at split end on opening day. He leads the Chiefs with eight preseason catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. But the flanker job remains wide open. It's a position of importance because the Chiefs will run an up-tempo, pass-first offense with a bounty of targets available. Bradley, the No. 39 pick in the 2005 draft, is the most talented option and has stayed healthy in practice, but was behind Darling on the initial depth chart. Toomer was also on the second team. After five years in the league, we know Darling isn't a starting-caliber player. Toomer, 35, is lucky to be on a roster. Keep track of this competition because coach Todd Haley's lineups are unpredictable, but cautiously look for Bradley to win before Week 1.

Perhaps no player has been as dominant as Bradshaw in the preseason's first two weeks. He already has four catches, a touchdown, and 89 rushing yards on 11 carries. The Panthers' run defense will be miserable minus NT Maake Kemoeatu and possibly MLB Jon Beason (I can't wait to recommend LeSean McCoy against Carolina as a sleeper Week 1 flex play), but it wasn't just the front seven Bradshaw made look bad in the opener. The 5'9/198-pound third-year back literally de-cleated Panthers CB Chris Gamble (6'1/200) on his 19-yard touchdown run. Ware has been solid in the passing game, but struggled on the ground with just 55 yards on 20 carries. Brown is out for the season with a torn Achilles' tendon. Bradshaw is a candidate for a 1,000+ all-purpose yard campaign.

Yes, that Troy Williamson is leading the league in preseason receiving yardage in a landslide. Most impressively, the former drop-prone bust is doing it efficiently. Starting both of the Jags' preseason games at split end, Williamson has turned 10 targets into seven catches for 221 yards, including bombs of 61 yards and a 76-yard score on the first offensive snap of Saturday's exhibition. Meanwhile, Walker has missed 16 days with an ankle injury. Williamson has simply played too well to not stay in the starting lineup when Walker returns. It's time to seriously consider Williamson as a late-round flier pick. Somebody has to catch the passes in Jacksonville. Walker and Torry Holt haven't shown much.

We already talked about Jarrett's big opportunity with Steve Smith (shoulder) shelved for the preseason and Muhsin Muhammad unlikely to play much in meaningless games at age 35. But Jarrett showed no ability to separate in Carolina's opener against the Giants, then went catch-less Saturday night at Miami. He's sitting on one catch for three yards in extensive playing time, while being outplayed by Lions castoff Kenneth Moore, and undrafted free agents Jason Chery and Larry Beavers. Barring an exceptional breakthrough from Jarrett in the last two exhibitions, Moose's job is very safe.

Rice started the preseason opener and looked every bit the every-down back coordinator Cam Cameron envisions. He averaged a rock-solid 4.4 yards per carry and caught three passes for 38 yards. McGahee has turned it up a notch in practice and didn't hurt himself with 33 yards on five touches in last week's shutout of Washington, but is safely No. 2. Interestingly, McClain only lead blocked. McGahee got the carry inside the Skins' five-yard line on the Ravens' first drive. He didn't execute, but it's possible that McClain isn't guaranteed goal-line work. That could open the door to even more production for Rice, who was an effective short-yardage back at Rutgers. The first-team gig is wrapped tight, but Monday night's Ravens-Jets matchup is worth watching closely for an idea of Rice's touchdown-scoring upside.

By way of shameless contract demands, Crabtree's agent has effectively haggled his client out of this race. Morgan has run as the 49ers' split end for the duration of camp, with Bruce opposite at flanker. Morgan, the 49ers' top deep threat, will be counted on heavily early this year. Crabtree won't be ready for an impact until midseason at the earliest, Brandon Jones (fractured shoulder) is out until at least Week 4, slot receiver Jason Hill appears to be regressing, and Bruce is going on 37. Sure to be a target hound, Morgan could emerge as an every-week WR3 play. His current ADP is the 14th round in 12-team leagues, behind guys like Hakeem Nicks, Michael Jenkins, and Crabtree himself. Imagine that.

The competition has turned to Austin versus Hurd for the third receiver spot. Crayton is in the driver's seat to start opposite Roy Williams. Austin played ahead of Hurd in the exhibition opener, but had a drop and finished without a catch. He also went reception-less on Friday night, failing to execute on two targets. Meantime, Hurd is sitting on 86 preseason receiving yards. Austin is blowing his opportunity for a huge role in an explosive offense during his contract year. Crayton is a worthwhile mid- to late-round pick in PPR leagues. He has remarkable hands and is extremely underrated in the red zone.

Sage Rosenfels had taken the clear lead over Tarvaris Jackson coming out of the first week of the preseason. Wednesday, the competition was over. Still, the Vikings' quarterback situation should be kept in mind in-season. The offense has explosive potential and Favre's partially torn rotator cuff is susceptible to re-aggravation. Rosenfels could be worth a waiver add at some point. Minnesota should find a trade partner for Jackson after his 202-yard, two-touchdown effort on Friday. St. Louis, Washington, Green Bay, and Jacksonville appear to be possible landing spots.

Editor's Note: For the most up-to-date player rankings, profiles, projections, cheatsheets, and much, much more that will allow you to dominate your fantasy football league, check out the 2009 Rotoworld Football Draft Guide.